Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1887-03-05
IL TROVATORE.' .
The Abbott Company Makes an I'M
mense Hit in VerdPs
Great Opera.
Abbott, Annandale, MOntegrifio and
Pruett All Shine and Are
YOciferOusly Received.
TOmasi and MOntegriffO Mad as Biazes
The Latter's Advice to
Morning COtem.

The audience at the Theatre last even
ing was one OF the largest that has yet
been crowded within the walls, and 1t
was composed almost entirely OF the edu-
Gated and cultured classes.
Last night was practically the opening
night of the season of grand opera, and
as the beauties and powers OF Abbott's
voice unfolded themselves to the audi
ence, one was forced to forget
that it was she who had APP
peared as the insignificant Yum Yum
and it was difficult to realize the great
difference between her "Lucretla
Borgia" and her "Leonora. The opera
spirit took fair hold of the audience last
night and the singers did everything so
we'll that everyone was fairly carried
away.
The first scene of ''Il Trovotore" is not
an effective one, but the strong male
chorus and Broderick's fine solo In
spired the audience and prepared
everyone for the second scene, which is
one of the most taking in the opera. The
trio which closes the act was so etfectu-
ally done that the curtain had to be
raised two or three times to the enthusl-
astic audience.
Abbott is at her best in this opera and
there was hardly an air in her role which
did not receive encore. Her solo in the
second act was very beautiful as was
also that in the beginning of the last
act. She sang with so much more ease
than she did in "Lucretia," each note
being brought out with force and clear
ness. Her best opportunity was in the
last act and she made the best Of it and
won the heartiest approval.
Annandale's rich contralto voice was
used with wonderful effect and the adj
miration she won on the previous day
was greatly increased. Her power IS
simply grand, and the fact tnat she won
as much approval in the plain old gipsy's
dress as she did in the becoming attire OF
Orsini is no small compliment. Her
Duet with Montegrifo in the last act
was one of the best things of the evening
and brought out a tornado of applause,
but no encore was given. Montegriffo
did the Misere exceedingly well and was
called before the scenes to make his ac-
acknowledgements. Pruette appeared to
perfection. His fine bearing, handsome
| figure and exquisite voice proving an
irresistible attraction.
There was considerable wonder about
Annandale's not responding to the encore
offered her in the last act, and the lady
came out in the Herald of this morning
laying the blame onto Tomasi, the di-
rector. That gentleman makes the fol-
lowing explanation:
EDITOR DEMOCRAT: Miss Annandale does
both me and herself a grave injustice when
she states in her communication to this morn
ing's Herald that offered her and the pub
lie an insult in declining to respond to the
encore called for after the rendition of the
''Home to Our Mountains duet. The lady
should know that the dramatic as we'll as
the musical proprieties of an opera must be
observed, and it is just as ridiculous to force
an unconscious woman to arise and respond
to an encore in the opera as it would be to
bring dead actor to his feet and make
him die over again. Any interruption at
the point mentioned would be fatal to the
dramatic effect of the opera, and it was for
this reason and no other that the encore
was not permitted. While appre-
ciated the kind reception which the
audience gave the Duet, 1 have learned by
experience that applause in such case sig
mites a genuine appreciation and not a
a desire for repetition; and, even had an
encore been asked for, could not sacrifice
the success of the scene by allowing the
fainting Azucena to arise and sing again.
Miss Annandale knows, and must admit,
that in every instance where an encore
could be consistently asked for, l have
willing allowed her to repeat, and it is
curious that after having been director of
the Emma Abbott Opera Company for seven
years, an artist of the company should take
upon herself the responsibility of telling
me when an encore should be given. l have
been an operatic director for the last fifteen
years, and having had the best opportunities
to observe and learn the proprieties of the
operatic stage consider myself compent
Judge in question of this kind.
| SIGNoR ACHILLE ToMAsI,
| Musical Director, Abbott Opera Co.
Montegriffo objects to the Tribune'S
criticism, and gives the following:
EDITOR DEMOCRAT: l read in this morn
| ing's Tfibune'S criticism of the Trovatore
performance that Signor Montegriffo, the
| tenor of the Abbott company, did not take
the high @ in the Sword Song, and that it
was beyond his reach. Now, l desire to
state that either the gentleman who wrote
the notice does not know anything of music
| or he has been misinformed, as all the
musicians and musical director of the COM
! pany can prove. I feel sorry that news
paper of the Importance of the Tribune does
not employ more competent critic, as it is
! the cause of Injustice both to the paper and
to the person criticised.
Yours respectfully,
! A. MoNTEGRIFFO.